Okay, so the other day, I was trying to come up with some fun activities for my kid’s youth group. We’ve been doing the same old drills, and the kids were starting to look, well, bored. So, I thought, “Let’s spice things up with some volleyball games!” But not just any volleyball games, you know? Something different, something to get them really moving and laughing.
My Prep Work
First, I brainstormed a bit. I wanted games that were adaptable to different skill levels, ’cause we’ve got some newbies and some who are pretty good. Also, I needed to keep things fairly simple – no complicated rules that would take half an hour to explain!
The Games We Played
- “Volleyball Keep-Up”: This one was super basic. We split the kids into smaller groups of 4-5. The goal? Simply see how many times they could keep the ball in the air using only volleyball-style hits (bumping, setting, etc.). No catching! It was a great warm-up and really got them focused on ball control. We went at it for maybe 10 minutes.
- “Target Practice”: I set up some hula hoops on the other side of the net. Each group had to try and serve or bump the ball into the hoops. Different hoops, different point values. It was a fun way to work on accuracy, and they got super competitive about it, which was * part was a bit harder to arrange but at the end worked pretty well, it took about 20 minutes.
- “One-Bounce Rule”: Played a regular game, BUT the ball could bounce once on each side before needing to be hit. This was GREAT for the beginners. It gave them a little extra time to react and made the game feel less intimidating. The more experienced kids had to adjust their strategy, which was a good challenge for them. We played around 2 or 3 matches with this rule, around 30 minutes in total.
- “No-Spike Zone”: To level the playing field, I declared a “no-spike zone” near the net. This meant no hard, downward hits within, say, 5 feet of the net. This encouraged setting and bumping, and prevented the stronger players from just dominating the game. This section last for about 20 minutes, really make it fair for everyone.
- “Crazy Ball”: For the last 15 minutes, I just threw in a bunch of different balls – a beach ball, a slightly deflated volleyball, even a slightly bigger, softer ball. We just played a fun, silly game with no real rules, just to get them laughing and having a good time.
How it Went
The kids loved it! Seriously, the energy was way up compared to our usual practices. They were running around, laughing, and actually enjoying themselves. The “One-Bounce Rule” was a huge hit, especially with the newer kids. And the “Crazy Ball” game at the end was just pure, chaotic fun.
Even I joined in for a few rounds – had to show them how it’s done, right? (Even though I’m totally out of shape!). Overall it took around 1 and half hour.
It was a good reminder that sometimes, the best way to get kids engaged is to just make things fun. Drills are important, sure, but mixing it up with games keeps them motivated and helps them develop their skills in a more relaxed, enjoyable way.
I’m definitely going to keep these games in the rotation, and I’m already thinking about other variations we can try. Maybe a “no-hands” game where they can only use their feet and heads? Hmmm…
